Chest Pain: Causes

What causes chest pain?

Chest pain is caused by a variety of mild to serious disorders, diseases or conditions. Chest pain can result from infection, infarction, inflammation, trauma, malignancy, and other abnormal processes. While many cases of chest pain are due to problems with the heart, chest pain can also be due to respiratory diseases, problems with digestion, anxiety disorders, or a pulled muscle or tendon. In children, chest pain is usually not caused by a heart attack, but may be caused by a serious congenital heart condition or birth defect.

Life-threatening cardiovascular causes of chest pain

Chest pain can arise from problems with the structures surrounding the heart and the heart itself including:

What are the potential complications of chest pain?

The complications of untreated or poorly controlled chest pain vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Any kind of chest pain, whether it occurs alone or is accompanied by other symptoms, should be evaluated by your doctor or health care provider. Once the underlying cause is identified, following the treatment plan you and your health care provider develop specifically for you will minimize the risk of complications of serious or life-threatening underlying causes of chest pain including:

What is chest pain?

Chest pain includes any type of pain or discomfort that occurs between your upper belly area and your lower neck. Chest pain can occur in any age group or population and may be described as chest tightness, chest pressure, or a feeling of burning or fullness in the chest. Chest pain may also be sharp, dull, throbbing, crushing, tearing, cramping or achy.

What other symptoms might occur with chest pain?

Chest pain often occurs in conjunction with other symptoms, which vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. For example, if chest pain is related to an infection, you may experience a fever and body aches. Diseases and conditions of organs and tissues in your chest or abdomen, such as the lu...
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